4-

With a jolt Raine woke, her body tensed and ready even before her mind had alerted her to what had startled her. The com handset beside her bed was beeping, it's steady annoying noise grating Raine's nerves.

Grabbing up the pad and pushing a button that would identify the source of the call. It came up blank. Raine's brows drew together, a frown forming on her face, unavailable. That usually only meant one thing. Mercs. They liked their privacy.

Pushing a separate button she asked quietly, her hoarse voice abrupt, "Yes?" Across the comset an oddly familiar tone spoke.

"Yeah, I heard your needing a job." Raine's brows drew together even more, she liked picking her own jobs in her own time. The only thing positive in a merc contacting her was that it meant she was gaining a reputation. She was wanted for part of a crew. Obviously talk got around.

"Maybe you heard wrong." She answered steadily, not committing but still leaving the conversation open. All the while she was searching her brain, where had she heard this voice, it was familiar but distant. It must have been along time ago. Maybe she'd done a job with the man before.

The voice was now impatient, it's course tones demanding.

"Listen, if you want a job, and I mean a job that's going to pay it's way twenty times over I'm your guy. I give fair cuts."

Despite herself a slow smile was appearing in the corners of Raine's mouth, mercs voluntarily giving fair cuts? She listened carefully before answering.

"Who is it?"

"The name's Riddick, Richard B."

Raine lapsed into a prominent silence, thinking furiously. It really meant she'd moved up if someone wanted her for this sort of job. She knew the name Riddick, what merc didn't? Riddick was the most wanted and most feared convict alive. Impulsively Raine wondered how high the bounty was for him. After a long minute she made up her mind.

"Count me in. Where and when?"

"You on planet?"

Raine gave a confirming grunt, guarding her information carefully. It wouldn't do for anyone to trace her location to Helion Prime, her home-planet.

"Where?"

She had been anticipating the question and answered quickly, not bothering to keep the curt tone out of her voice.

"I'll be in New Mecca tomorrow, at the landing docks." There was a small pause before Raine added, "And my employer's name is?

"Toombs."

The silence lengthened as Raine immediately recognized the name. Toombs... It would have had to be him. She doubted very much that the merc had any notion who she was. Well, as long as she got her fair cut she wouldn't have much of a problem doing business with him. It might be better if he didn't know who she was after all.

Various memories ran quickly through her head. Disturbing thoughts. Raine stoically pushed them away. Now was not the time.

"Tomorrow then."

She finished with a sense of absoluteness and without waiting to hear further she shut the comset off, setting it back down on the surface of her desk area. Rubbing one hand over her aching eyes she reached for her darkened glasses, the room was getting to bright.

Glancing at her computer center she noted the time, 5:39 AM. It was time to be moving. She'd have to explain to her Father that she'd be gone.

Almost involuntarily Raine sighed, while she was looking forward to yet another chase, and one that would prove to be undoubtedly one of the most challenging yet, she couldn't help but think of her Father once more. Of what his reaction would be if he knew...

The small figure shook her head suddenly, resolutely pushing thought once more from her. It didn't do to think to much on such matters. If she didn't know any better she would think she was getting soft... She was always soft when it came to her Father.

Once again switching thought pattern she turned to the matter of Toombs. It would be interesting to see him again, to see how he had worked out his team, to see if the team was up to the job of capturing Riddick.

If Raine knew Toombs, and she did, she knew he'd go for the highest money and that meant the target would be gotten alive. Getting Riddick dead would be hard but alive... Well, it was supposed to be impossible, Raine defied impossible though.

Richard B. Riddick. A shadow of a frown crossing the girl's pale face she moved over to her search machine, one kept specifically by mercenaries. Quickly keying in Riddick she watched as a very impressive record on the man scrolled into view.

It was always smart to make sure you knew the target's background history, after all, the past always affected the present or for that matter, the future as well.